Mail-bag catching and delivering apparatus



J. G. WELG-H. MAIL BAG CATCHING AND DELIVERING APPARATUS.

I APPLICATION FILED JULY ZS, 1920. 1,430,605. Patented 0ct.3,1922.

JAMES 6: W62 [6/ IN V EN TOR.

ATTORNEY:

Patented Oct. 3, 1922,

" NITED STATE PATENT orifice;

JAMES Gr. WELCH, on nnrnoir, mronrenn, assrenon or one-sonar T0 JOHN sin CLAIR, onn-roun'rn T0 HARRY JQHN cnoss, nn onnronn'rn 'ro WILLIAM AITCHISON, ALL on nnrnorr, MICHIGAN. I

MAIL-BAG GA'ICHING AND DELIVERING APPARATUS.

Application filed July 23, 1920. Serial No. 398,361.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES G. WELCH, a citizen. of the United States, residing at Detroit, in the county of Wayne and btate of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Mail-Bag Catching and Delivering Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in mail bag catching and delivering apparatus and more particularly to that type associated with the door of the mail car for delivering and receiving mail bags from a station while the mail car is in progress.

An important object of the invention is to provide a mail bag crane having means associated therewith for securely retaining mail bags and at the same time will permit of their displacement by the proper apparatus at the station.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device of this nature including a mail bag retaining horn associated, with the mail train and means for retaining mail bags to be delivered to the station, said retaining horn being connected to the crane and said means in a manner whereby the means may be adjusted to increase or decrease its grip upon the mail bag suspended upon the crane.

Still another object of, the invention resides in the provision of an especially con structed crane which may be removably mounted upon the car so that when its use is not desired it may be demounted and placed out of the way. i

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent during the course of the following description.

In the accompanying drawings forming a part of the application and wherein like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the several views Figure l is a side elevation of a mail car with the invention applied thereto.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary horizontal sec tion taken on the line 22 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a vertical transverse section taken through the car at the doorway there of illustrating the crane in an extended position, and

Figure 4 is an enlarged fragmentary longitudinal section through the receiving end; of the crane,

Referring to the drawings wherein for the purpose of illustration is shown the preferred embodiment of my invention, the numeral 1 designates a railway car having the the two brackets are aligned to receive the angular-1y arranged downwardly; directed free ends 5 ofa pair of spaced horizontally arranged arms 6 constituting parts of the mail bag crane indicated in its entirety by the numeral 7. As most clearly seen in Figure 3 of the drawing, the two arms 6 are of substantiallength whereby they will extend a distance laterally of the side of the mail car when the crane is swung to an extended position. The outer ends of these arms are directed vertically as at 8 to meet at a point substantially between the horizontal portions of the arms 6 from which point the arms are secured together and extended further in parallelism with thearms to provide for the mail bag receiving portion 9 of the crane. The outer end 10 of the mail bag receiving portion 9 is angularly disposed in a horizontal plane to extend forwardly in the direction in which the car is moving. i

In order to prevent accidental displacement of the crane from the car and to re- 1 tain the same in an extended position to perform its functions, a memberll in the form of a relatively heavy bar is secured to the outside of the car adjacent the side of the door way upon which the crane 7 is mounted. The edge of the member 11 adjacent the door way is provided with a pair of spaced notches 12 to form seats for receiving therein portions of the arms 6 of the mail bag crane 7 when the latter is arranged in an extended position. Consequently it will be seen that wear normally imposed upon the side of the door way by the abutment therewith of the crane 7 is taken up by the plate 11, and that the free ends 5 of the arms 6 of the crane are prevented from accidental displacement from their brackets i inasmuch as such movement as will cause the same to become displaced from its bracket, is prohibited by the arms 6 abutting with the relative upper sides of thenotches 12. In order to prevent the crane from swingng inwardly through the door way 2. when such movement is not desired, a latch 13 constituting a plate pivoted between its ends to the notched edge of the member 11 is provided. This latch is pivoted above the uppermost arms 6 of the crane and in a position whereby one end of the latch may swing across the uppermost notch 12 to retain therein one arm 6 of the crane.

I contemplate the use of rings 14' in connection with mail bags or sacks of any desired. construction, and these bags are suspended from the angular end 10 of the crane by the rings thereof being received and retained between the bottom of the angular end 10 and the free end of a flat springl6. It will be noted that the free end of this spring. is extended beyond theoutwardly extending portion 9 of the crane While its opposite end is secured by a bolt 17 or other suitable means to the nose or free end of the angular portion or" the crane. its it is desirable to prevent accidental displacement of the mail bags during movement of the mail car due to swaying thereof I have provided a means tor adjusting the tension of the spring 1.6 whereby the rings 14 carried by the mail bag may be more firmly gripped between this spring and the angular free end 10 of the crane. This means consists of a retaining horn 18 which is arranged in spaced relation above the top ot the end 10 of the frame and opens adjacent the portion 9 of the crane to prevent accidental displacement or". mail bags delivered to the crane from. the station. The horn 18 is provided with an angularly threaded shank 19 which is th eaded vertically through the free end of the crane and this threaded shank also extends through an opening in the spring 16. 1 1 nut 20 is threaded upon the lower end ofthe crank 19 to prevent accidental displacement of the horn from the crane. Obviously then it will be seen that upon turning movement or" the born 18 to space it further from the top of the portion 10 ofthe crane, the shank of the horn will be moved through the crane to cause depression of the spring l? adjacent its fastening element 17 whereby the spring may be arranged in close proximity to the crane. thereby effecting thetension of the spring. I

It is to be understood that this crane may be usedupon either side of the mail car and that any kind'oi suitable station delivering andreceiving means may be provided for interchanging the mail bags with the crane carried by the mail car. However. in the present instance I have illustrated a station delivering apparatus designated in its entirety by the numeral 21 consisting of'a vertically supported post 22 having a pair of arms 23 and 24 secured thereto and extend Hat spring 25 whereby-the ring 14 of a mail pouch may be received between this spring and the free ends or" the arm and may be readily disengaged from therebetween by the free end of the crane passing through the ring 1. 1 oi the bag. The other arm 23 is provided upon its top and bottom with a pair o'l bowed members 26 and 27 provid ing means tordisengaging the ring oi: the mail bag from between the spring 16 and the iree end of the crane 7 and also providing a pair of shoulders 28 and 29 which. prevent accidental dis iilacement of the mail with the arms 23 after it has been re-' ceived thereon from the apparatus carried by the frame.

The foregoing description and the ac companying drawings have reference to the preferred embodiment of my invention. It is to be unc erstood however that such changes may be made in construction and combination of parts; materials, dimensions, etc, as may prove expedient and fall within the scope or the appended claim.

Having thus fully described myinvention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1 mail bag crane comprising a pair of horizontally disposed spaced arms said arms being bent between their ends to extend and meet each other, the contacting portions of said arms being secured together and directed parallel to and in the same plane with said arms and the terminals of the contacting portions being extended a right angles tothe plane of the arms and provide-'1 with mail bag catching means.'

in testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JAMES \VELCH. Witnesses 2 J. FLmrMiNG,

WALTER A... BEHnn'Nvr. 

